Is flexible working key to attracting female applicants?

It’s official – female workers have never been so busy so it comes as no surprise that flexible working is high on the wish list for working women.

A recent online survey has discovered that a significant amount of working women are juggling one job or more, plus the bulk of household tasks.

A whopping 16 percent of women are working more than one job, with a further 3 percent stating that they have three different jobs at the same time.

Although these percentages don’t seem that overwhelming, consider that these figures equate to 2.24 million working women who are trying to balance two jobs plus the lion’s share of domestic tasks.

When discussing roles that offer flexible working, 75 percent of the women surveyed wished that the jobs they current have offered a degree of flexibility to help them maintain a better work life balance and felt that this would have a positive impact on their lives.

So, what can employers take away from this recent study?

Aside from the fact that female applicants are crying out for flexible job opportunities, the study also shows that they’re willing to undertake more than one position if the term are right and hours fit around other responsibilities.

This is great news if you’re one of many companies that employs staff on a part-time or job share basis.

However, what really seems to be the golden carrot in terms of attracting female applicants is the degree of flexibility that the role offers.

As previously mentioned, most women take on the responsibility for the majority of the household chores and childcare arrangements in their home, so being able to advertise the fact that you’d be willing to offer flexible working is a seriously tempting benefit for female applicants.

For more information on how to attract the best candidates to your role and insights into what techniques your business can utilise to grab the attention in a buoyant jobs market, speak to our candidate attraction specialists today on 01782 338787

Managing Director at Appointments, Emma has spent 15 years building up a stellar reputation for commercial recruitment excellence across a variety of industries and sectors. There’s no staffing challenge Emma hasn’t encountered and her insight into the recruitment landscape has assisted countless clients achieve their goals over the years.

Specialising in the legislative and procedural side of business operations and through her extensive knowledge and continual training, Emma has a wealth of legal and contractual recruitment knowledge to help advise and support organisations of any size and in any industry.